Wednesday 15 June 2016

Go, Go, Go Joseph



Way way back many centuries ago I went to see the premier of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Actually it was 25 years ago and I was only 8. Jason Donavon was starring and I was mesmerised!



Fast forward to 2016 and today I went to Brighton’s Theatre Royal with my mother and daughter and watched as my daughter experienced the same biblical, family friendly musical as I had done.





This time it starred the lovely Joe McElderry, winner of 2009’s X Factor, in the lead role. The narrator, with a spine-tingling voice, was played by Lucy Kay. Between the two of them they delivered an absolute joy of a show.

The songs, the costumes, the comedy and every detail of this production were epic. My daughter was excited from the moment the curtain lifted

Joseph is the story of Jacob’s favourite son. He has vivid dreams that one day his brothers will bow down to him. As a sign of his love Jacob gives Joseph a technicoloured coat. This angers his brothers and they successfully conspire to get rid of Joseph by selling him to a rich Egyptian called Potiphah. Joseph eventually ends up as the Pharaoh’s (or shall we say Elvis') right hand man and we hear this story through brilliant, catchy and well written songs.




Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice’s musical is a timeless British favourite, but this production takes it to another level of talent.



Highlights for us included the hilarious cowboy inspired ‘There’s One More Angel in Heaven’, McElderry’s haunting and powerful ‘Close Every door to Me’ and the Big Numbers sing-a-long for the audience at the end which of course included ‘Any Dream Will Do’. It was really cute to see a class of school children standing up cheering and belting the songs out at the finale.



In the end everyone was up on their feet dancing, singing along and clapping. Joseph captured everyone’s enthusiasm and we all left on a complete high.

This production is only on until Saturday 18th June so you must get your tickets to see it before it goes. It was one of the best performances I have seen so I urge you not to miss out on this sensational, highly entertaining musical.

You can get tickets at Theatre Royal box office in New Road, Brighton or from www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton

Five Reasons to have a stag weekend in Brighton


Today we hand over to a guest blogger - Adam from Adventure Connections gives us his top tips for planning a stag weekend in Brighton.... 


A stag weekend in Brighton is a no brainer!


Picking the ideal location for a legendary stag do is one of the biggest decisions you’re going to have to make as a best mate. You need to plan who is getting an invite, what the group can realistically afford, and most importantly where this weekend is going to take place and why. If you’re after some inspiration, you’re in the right place! I’m going to give you five reasons why Brighton is the perfect location for a stag weekend…

#1 – Pubs, Pubs and More Pubs

A successful stag do isn’t going down in history without a lot of alcohol, and Brighton isn’t short on pubs. In fact, there are over 400 pubs in Brighton – you could go on a ten bar pub crawl every night for two weeks and you’d still not have visited them all! If it’s a lesson in fine ales and craft beers you’re after, I’d recommend an essential visit to Craft Beer Co or The North Laine. For a more traditional pub environment you should head down to the Fiddler’s Elbow or The Great Eastern. Though the price of a pint can be pretty steep, the cost of a stag weekend in Brighton is made up for with the energetic and vibrant atmosphere!

#2 – Live Events

This is perhaps my favourite thing about Brighton. It’s absolutely full to the brim with live event opportunities! If you’re a fan of the arts then you should definitely consider organising a stag do during Brighton Fringe. It’s held over four weeks and is England’s largest arts festival. Want to attend outside of Fringe? No problem! Brighton is home to a huge variety of exciting premier entertainment venues. If you want to laugh your socks off, book yourselves in to a comedy night. Cheap and hilarious! Just don’t get too close to the front if you don’t want to be part of the act! For an authentic live music experience and intense electrifying atmosphere, you’ll want to head to Concorde 2. Every time I head to Concorde for a gig, I leave feeling that gig has completely outdone the last!

#3 – City Attractions

Your stag weekend in Brighton is going to be jam packed, but there’s always a bit of time for city sightseeing! If it’s your first time visiting, I’d recommend the following course of action… Take in the fresh sea air and walk around The Brighton Pier. Head west to see the developing i360 tower that will soon offer a breath-taking 360 degree view of up to 26 miles! Pretty terrifying if you ask me! Next, you’ll want to head in to the heart of the city towards the North Laine to explore some of the quirkier stores like Snoopers Paradise. Lastly, walk on down to admire the Royal Pavilion (former exotic royal residence of King George IV) situated in the heart of the city. When your feet can’t take any more, it’s time for a bit of people watching in the Pavilion Gardens. You’re bound to spot a few curious figures…

#4 – Brighton Brunches and Fine Food

I love food. If you’ve had a heavy night in the pubs, you’ll want a hearty brunch to put you right. The Breakfast Club has all of the bacon, sausages and pancakes to see you back to your regular self. I can’t emphasise enough just how good the food from traditional pubs are. Gourmet burgers galore! If you need a change of scenery (because you’ve already hit those pubs hard) you only need to go for a short wander around the next corner to find restaurants serving Chinese, Indian, oriental buffets, Italian, classic fish and chips, and everything else you could possibly think of eating! Check out the most highly rated restaurants on Trip Advisor.

#5 – Activities in and around Brighton

Hire some bikes for a sunny seafront cycle. I cycle along the coast to and from work and more often than not, there’s a beautiful Instagram worthy sunset! Put those bikes to good use because just along the seafront is Brighton Marina, ideal for fine dining, water action and a cheeky game of bowling. If you want to take a dip in the water, head to our watersports centre for wakeboarding, windsurfing and paddle boarding! A short drive outside of the city provides countless of enduring and adrenaline rushing activities. Karting, It’s a Knockout, paintballing, quad biking… take your pick! I recently tried an activity that is unbelievable fun! Have you heard of Zorb Football? You’ll definitely want to check this out if you’re a footie fan!

That’s it! Five reasons to have a stag weekend in Brighton. Plenty of quality drinking and eating, action and excitement – what more could you ask for on a stag do?

If you need a little help organising your stag weekend in Brighton, check out Adventure Connections!